Her diary is said to be the second most read book worldwide, after the Bible. It has been translated into 67 languages and transformed into several stage and screen productions. It enshrined its teenage author as one of the 20th century's greatest witnesses to one of history's darkest evils, and it has been a beacon to others imprisoned by fanaticism and hate.

Despite all Anne Frank accomplished, however, it appears that nearly 60 years after her death from typhus in Bergen-Belsen, she remains as stateless as she was when hidden away in her "Secret Annex" in the Netherlands, or wasting away in a concentration camp in Germany.

That, in the view of an Islip town council member, Christopher Bodkin, makes Frank a perfect candidate for honorary American citizenship.

The distinction has been bestowed on only six figures. The first to receive honorary citizenship was Winston Churchill, in 1963. Next was Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust, in 1981, when Wallenberg received the honor posthumously. Also awarded citizenship posthumously were Mr. and Mrs. William Penn, founders of Pennsylvania, in 1984, and the Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette, in 2002. Mother Theresa received honorary citizenship in 1996, a year before her death.

Anne Frank, Mr. Bodkin said, would be the first Jew to be awarded honorary American citizenship, and the first child.

We have plenty of American citizens who don't deserve it in my opinion (the Klintoons, Jane Fonda, the Heinz-Kerrys, Ramsey Clarke, etc.), so I see nothing wrong with making a symbol of freedom and hope an honorary American.

What a waste of legislative effort this would be to award citizenship to a non-American who never even set foot on this continent. Of course the wasted legislative effort would at least distract our congress-critters from spending our money, if only briefly...

8
posted on 12/31/2004 4:51:15 PM PST
by No Longer Free State
(If integrity does not reside in the captain of the ship, then it is not on board)

Anne Frank said in her diary that her dream was to go to Hollywood and be a star. In any case, she never set foot in America. This "honor" would cheapen her memory, because she is for all countries, for all times.

Frank wrote. "Nice people, the Germans! To think that I was once one of them too! No, Hitler took away our nationality long ago. In fact, Germans and Jews are the greatest enemies in the world."

The senior researcher at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Aaron Breitbart, also expressed skepticism about the purported restoration of Anne Frank's German citizenship.

"I'm sure the Germans would like to claim her," he said, but he added: "Anne Frank's citizenship was certainly taken away from her, and she was dead by the time the law had been changed, so it's very difficult to say that she became a German citizen after she died."

In summary, he said, "Anne Frank remains stateless."

Anne, if no one else wants to claim you, I would love to welcome you here in America.

When I visited the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam several years ago, I was surprised to learn that Anne's diary was one of dozens of diaries that were written. Anne, along with others, had written diaries with the intent of publishing them once the war was over (and cashing in). Annes' just happened to be thew best written of the lot.

13
posted on 12/31/2004 7:37:03 PM PST
by Cowboy Bob
(Fraud is the lifeblood of the Democratic Party)

If Anne Frank had lived through the war...the last thing on earth she would have wanted...is someone to print her diary. It is the stuff that teenage girls usually talk about...drama, problems, boys, and life in general. After you go to the house in Amsterdam and understand the stress of living in 24 hours a day...seven days a week...you can't blame her for intense emtions and putting those feeling into print.

As for the citizenship deal...its mostly a joke. We as well go back and convict Hitler of war-crimes or take Chairman Mao into court over the execution of 1000s of Chinese.

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